Black Shack Alley is the beautifully presented story of one young boy, José Hassam and his struggles to understand the racially divided world of Martinique. The author Joseph Zobel, through the first person narrative of José, gives us insights into the hard life of the cane plantation where José first lives with his grandmother, the opportunities that schooling provides to a young black boy and the ultimate struggle of giving up one's culture to become alienated but more successful in society. That is the choice for Martiniquans who desire to succeed, they must become alienated from their creole beginnings to fit into the only acceptable society, which is white and French. Zobel presents this as the only real option for José which concurs with the social feeling at that time. This book is a reminder of the struggle for identity that has occurred in the past of Martinique. It is a long way from the more contemporary work of Patrick Chamoiseau and his book Texaco which heralds a new era that applauds the creole beginnings and rejects accepting all white ways. This is a very moving story which can teach us a lot about Martiniquan traditions as well as being valuable in the time honoured tradition of storytelling. Necessary reading for understanding the depths of Martiniquan society.